The Road Ahead
by Jennifer Collins
Summary: Their journey after he finds her.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: When I originally wrote The Road Ahead as a submission to the U.S.S. Caryl's Music Lyric Drabble/Fanart challenged, I'd intended it as a oneshot. Then I wrote a smutty second chapter. Then the idea for this story would not leave me alone. I'm keeping the songfic submission up as a oneshot, but here is a story inspired by that one. The first chapter here is that same one, only without the song lyrics. The second chapter here was re-written without the smut. From the third chapter on is the rest of their journey.

Thank you so much to everybody who has followed, favorited, commented, or reviewed. I hope you like where this story goes.

He sat on the floor in his cell with his back against the wall. The sinking feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach had spread throughout his body, and all he felt was empty.

No one came, but then again he didn't expect them to. In all honesty, he figured if they knew better, they wouldn't.

The hours stretched on into the night agonizingly slow, as he imagined the rest of the days would without her. Without her. The notion seemed unacceptable in his mind before, he knew that now. But either way, the choice had been taken away from him.

He stood abruptly, left the room and walked down the hall to the next cell. It still smelled like her. The sheets, the pile of folded cargo pants and cardigans sitting abandoned on the chair, the book resting on the table with a forgotten bookmark.

"Dammit!" He cursed out loud, kicking the legs out from under the folding chair and watching her things fall to the floor.

A second later he was picking them up, holding her favorite sweater up to his face and breathing deeply.

He slammed his fists into the table in one last desperate attempt to vent the anger, but the anger stayed. The regret stayed, the bitterness stayed, the hollow, empty feeling in his chest stayed too. Fuck this, he thought.

He was out the door in a matter of seconds, ignoring the pleas that followed him from behind and he tugged the fence closed before he turned around to mount his bike, never once looking back.

It was dark and crisp, and the road stretched on forever in front of him, but he didn't care. He rode eight miles south, his mouth twitching up slightly as he chose which direction to go from there. He could hear the low groaning of walkers on either side of him as he rode at a leisurely pace, but he didn't care. He didn't even pay attention to how many of them there were. It just didn't matter.

He dug around in his pocket for the unopened pack of cigarettes that he'd been keeping for a special occasion.

Six miles later, he was slowing down, the dim glow from his headlight casting out over the grass. It took him almost a full minute, but he got what he needed and headed on.

It was hours before he was swinging his leg to the ground and padding across the uneven pavement. She didn't even look up as he approached with his flashlight in hand and cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"How on earth did you find me?" She asked, her voice cutting through the quiet darkness even though it was nearly a whisper.

He grinned, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth and offering it to her. "I'm a tracker, remember?"

She shook her head. "I'm not going back."

"What a coincidence. Neither am I."

He thought he saw a spark light in her eyes then, but it was so damn dark he wasn't sure. She shuffled her feet idly.

He nodded to the vehicle parked by the curb. "That your car?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"Good. Pull it up behind my bike. We can head north. I'll show you the way."

"No."

He looked up, not sure he'd heard her correctly. "'Scuse me?"

She tugged the keys out of her pocket and headed for the driver's side. "I'm kind of done with the whole following people thing. You either get in or you ride behind."

"Well, okay then." He nodded thoughtfully, not even hesitating before he slid into the passenger's seat.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't even an hour later that Carol stopped driving. Just put the car in park, right there in the middle of the dirt road. It wasn't like there were any rules to follow anymore.

She sat stone faced for a moment, staring straight ahead into the nothingness. Then she slammed her hands against the dashboard and broke down crying.

"Hay," Daryl said quietly. He reached for her, putting an arm around her shaking shoulders. "C'mere."

She threw herself against him as much as she could in the close quarters, clutching at his shirt and sobbing into him. "You know?"

"I know."

That made her cry even harder.

"Sssh, sshh," he soothed, pulling her against his chest and tucking her head under his chin. He sat silently for awhile then, just letting her cry.

Long moments stretched before she straightened herself up and slid across the seat against the driver's side door, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "Why did you come for me?"

He sat facing her with his back against the passenger's side door, looking down and fidgeting with his hands for a moment before he answered, "Ya really don't know?"

She blinked, tried to digest what he was telling her without really telling her. It was all too much, so she leaned forward and pressed her lips carefully against his. She fully expected him to pull away in confusion, but she wanted to do it, so she did.

He froze for a moment, then gripped her shoulders firmly as he began to kiss her back, running his tongue along her bottom lip.

She parted her lips and he somewhat sloppily pushed his tongue in. Nearly two years of wondering what it would be like to taste every part of his mouth took over and she pushed back, letting her fingers get tangled in his hair.

She leaned further into him as they kissed, pressing him flush against the door and he made a sound something like a little whimper. She paused, pulled back slightly. "You alright?"

"Mmm, yeah," He said with a slight smile. "Don't have much experience, but I think the tradit'nl place for this is the back seat."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "But-but the walkers…"

He shrugged. "Ain't seen any activity for miles. 'Sides, we'll hear 'em before they see us. Up to you."

She nodded vigorously, her hand already reaching behind her to undo the latch on the door.

She crawled into the back seat and was met with frantic kisses all over her face. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back.

He lowered his lips to her neck, the hairs on his chin scraping against her sensitive skin.

"Hey, that tickles," she murmured, eyes still closed.

"Good to know," he replied, sucking softly on her collar bone. He tugged her cardigan aside, slowly slipping it off her shoulders.

"Daryl…" she breathed as he continued his exploration, dipping his tongue into her pulse point and causing her to shiver slightly.

"What do you want?" He asked, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"You," she whispered. "It's always been you." She opened her eyes to look at him. "What do you want?"

He didn't answer, at least not with words spoken out loud. Instead he just looked back at her, eyes wide, with an expression on his face that she didn't quite recognize. She tilted his head up to kiss him again and he eagerly obliged, slipping his tongue past her lips and kissing her thoroughly.

He leaned forward as they kissed, gently lowering her onto the seat of the car until he was practically on top of her. "This alright?" He asked.

She nodded wordlessly, adjusting to welcome his warm weight and wrapping her arms around his back to pull him closer. She could feel his reaction to their making out on her hip and she shifted against him.

He groaned softly at the contact and moved his thigh between her legs.

His hands were everywhere then, slowly wandering over her body, groping at her breasts and sliding down her stomach as she shivered under his touch.

She couldn't get her hands on him fast enough and she fumbled for a few agonizing seconds with his belt buckle.

"You want me on top?" He asked.

She nodded, laying back against the seat and he crawled over her, kissing her softly.

XXXXX

"Holy fuckin' shit," he murmured. "You alright?"

She smiled softly at that and he lay back on the seat, pulling her on top of him.

"Do you think any walkers heard us?" She asked as she settled against him, her fingers idly tracing the tattoo on his chest.

"I don't care if the whole fuckin' world heard us," He admitted with a chuckle. "Nah, we're fine."

"We should get going soon though," she said.

"Alright. Where to?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"We'll stop on the way, get some gas and supplies," He said. "Then we can go wherever you want."

She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "You'll miss things from back there. People."

He nodded. "Yeah, probly. But I'm with the thing I'd be missin' the most," he assured her, pressing a soft kiss on her temple.

"It's not going to be easy," she told him, her brows furrowed.

"Well, no one said it was gonna be." He tapped lightly on her shoulder and sat up. "Come on now. We'd best get goin' to where we gotta go."


	3. Chapter 3

She could feel her eyes drooping slightly in the fresh darkness, only dimly aware of the monotonous drone of the engine as she glided on.

"I could take over drivin' for awhile." He spoke softly, cautiously as if he were measuring his words before pouring them out.

She didn't turn to look at him, but she could feel him studying her carefully.

"We'll still go where ya want," he added. "But I could just-"

"No," She cut him off. "We should stop anyway. Find somewhere to settle in for the night."

"Yeah," He replied with a nod.

She frowned. "We passed a high school about a mile back. That might be good for filling up on supplies."

He shook his head. "No. If it's overrun, it'll be too much tonight. Best hole up in one'a them houses nearby. Easier to clear. We can check the school for supplies in the mornin."

She sat quietly with her lips pursed for so long that he was surprised when she uttered a simple, "You're right."

She pulled off the main highway and turned into the residential area. "We should get farther away from the main road, right?"

He nodded. "Less populated, with any luck."

She turned down a seemingly quiet street. "Looks deserted enough."

There weren't any cars in the driveway, so she pulled right in.

He got out first, holding his already loaded crossbow in front of them.

Her heart was pounding in her ears as she reached out to turn the doorknob, finding it unlocked. He was right behind her, so close she could feel his shaky breath, warm on the back of her neck.

At first there was nothing, then she heard the low gurgling sounds to her right. She drew her knife, her knuckles tingling as she gripped it tightly while her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

There were two of them, standing in the living room in front of an old bulky television, just swaying there as if they'd been waiting for her. Or maybe expecting company in general.

One of them moved forward, arms outstretched in preparation to grab at her throat, but she sank her knife into its skull before it even had a chance. She turned around to find Daryl pulling his arrow out of the other one.

He reached into his bag and produced a flashlight, switched it on and swiped it over every nook and cranny.

She stood still, watching him as he moved in a slow circle around her, eyeing the perimeter of the ground floor. His eyes darted upstairs and she nodded.

The stairs creaked a little under their feet as they slowly ascended. The second floor was small, with what she assumed was two bedrooms separated by a tiny bathroom. She paused with her hand on one of the knobs, listening carefully. She heard nothing, so she pushed the door open, her eyes darting around the room.

"All clear," she said over her shoulder in a loud whisper.

"Yeah," he called from the other room. "Windows're boarded up."

"In here too," she said, backing up into the hall.

She found him peering into the bathroom and she looked over his shoulder. There was no shower curtain, a detail she was grateful for as her mind recalled every single horror movie she'd ever seen when she was younger.

He shrugged. "We're alone."

She nodded.

"I'll take 'em outside," He offered. "They might ward off potential visitors."

"I'll help," she insisted, following him down the stairs.

It didn't take long for them to discard the walker bodies out the front door. It was only minutes later that she was pulling it shut, testing the lock and breathing a sigh of relief when it clicked into place. Almost as an afterthought, she turned the deadbolt too.

"We're alright here for a night," He assured her. "I'll take the first watch."

She nodded, moving into the kitchen.

"What're you doing? We can check on supplies in the morning," He told her.

She wordlessly pulled some soda cans out of the refrigerator.

He raised an eyebrow. "If yer that thirsty, you should be drinkin' water."

She shook her head. "Temporary alarm system," she informed him as she turned to dump the liquid out into the sink. "Now you won't have to keep watch."

He grinned, feeling a surge of pride towards this woman as he watched her methodically poke holes in the bottoms and string them together.

She didn't speak again until she was finished. "There." She handed him a long string of soda cans. "One to hang outside your room, and one for mine."

He moved ahead of her, peeked his head in the room she'd claimed as hers one last time and handed her a flashlight before turning in to his.

She placed the flashlight on the floor after he'd left, her eyes narrowing in the dim light that flooded the room. She took in the unmade bed and her skin crawled at the thought of sleeping in someone else's unwashed space, so she figured she'd look for some clean sheets.

She rummaged around in the trunk near the bed, still unable to shake the uneasy feeling. She was tugging the bottom corners of the sheets under the mattress when she heard heavy footsteps outside her door. They were accompanied by a soft knock a second later.

She opened the door and found herself face to face with Daryl. Her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"I'd sleep better in here," he mumbled, clearly unsure if he was saying the right words.

She thought for a moment, then let out a soft, "Oh," as she placed a hand against his chest. "Then come on in," she added, her arms snaking around his neck as she pulled his body against hers.

He shook his head, closing the door behind him and listening to the loud clatter of the soda cans. "We don't haveta do that. I just…. wanna stay in here, I guess…" He murmured awkwardly.

She nodded. "Fine. But you get the side against the wall."

"I could sleep on the floor."

"That's not necessary," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

He climbed into the bed, obediently sliding across to make room for her.

She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling long after he'd started snoring.


	4. Chapter 4

She knew she must have fallen asleep at some point because her head felt groggy when she opened her eyes and picked it up off the pillow. Clearly no light would be coming in from the boarded window, so she wasn't sure what time it was, or how long she'd been out.

She could feel his body, warm and inviting next to her. He turned to face her when he felt her stir, mumbling a still sleepy "Mornin'" as a greeting.

She clasped her hands together, stretched her arms out in front of her. "Is it?" she wondered.

She felt more than saw his shrug. "I think so."

"We should see if there's anything we can use in the bathroom before we go," she said.

He waited for her to get up first before he rose up out of bed. She tugged the bedroom door open, her makeshift alarm jingling in protest. Daryl walked across the hall to the other room to get his backpack, which he'd left on the floor before going to Carol the night before.

"Just some expired aspirins," she said, her mouth in a straight line when he rejoined her in front of the medicine cabinet above the sink.

"Take it anyway," he advised, unzipping his pack.

"I was hoping for soap."

He nodded. "Maybe at the school. You still wanna go there?"

"Yes." She bounded down the stairs, unlocking the deadbolt and flinging the door open. She was surprised to see the sun shining brightly and clear skies through the green leaves on the trees as they stepped out onto the porch. It was almost as if she didn't have to step over dead bodies on the lawn.

Daryl paused, sat on the railing and pulled the box of cigarettes out of his pocket. "School's bout a mile south of here, I think. Should be easy once we find our way back to the highway."

Carol looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. "I've got a map," she informed him, holding up her bag.

She stared at the butt of the cigarette hanging out from the corner of his mouth. "You got any of those left?" She asked.

He nodded, squinting into the sun as he tossed her the pack, then motioned with two fingers for her to come closer so he could light it for her. "Didn't peg you as a smoker."

She didn't answer, just backed up a couple of steps and studied the map. She took a drag from the cigarette, inhaling slowly. She coughed a couple of times, and Daryl felt the corner of his mouth twitch slightly as he watched her.

"We're good," she said after a moment. She folded the map up and placed it back in her bag. "Come on."

"Yes ma'am," he said, jumping down from his perch and stubbing out his cigarette with his foot before scuffling forward to follow her.

XXXXX

"High schools would have been some of the first shelters, so there could be a lot of walkers," Carol said as she pulled up and parked the car on the street.

"Probly," Daryl agreed. "What d'ya think?"

She frowned, touching the knife at her waist and looking down at the handgun that sat on top of her bag. "I think they move slow, and there's two of us. Could be a good opportunity to get things we'll need."

Daryl nodded. "Ready when you are."

They approached the front entrance slowly. A couple of walkers were milling about here and there, but it was nothing they couldn't handle easily and nowhere near the clusters that she'd been half expecting. That made her even more nervous to go inside.

Daryl placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her and kicked open the double doors. They waited for a few seconds, but were met with silence.

She stepped in first, looking from side to side. "It's kind of dark. I think we need a flashlight," she said in a whisper.

He pulled one out of his bag, had to hit it a couple of times before it stayed on. "Fuckin' batteries," he muttered. He pointed it at the floor in front of them. "Stay close," he advised.

She shook her head. "It'll be quicker if we split up. One of us should check the cafeteria to see if there's anything salvageable. Even if it's just bottled water."

He sighed, but didn't say anything.

"I'll get to the nurse's office," she continued. There's probably some useful medical supplies in there, maybe even batteries for the flashlights."

"Alright," he said. "I don't like it though."

She shrugged. "We could just scream if we need help."

"Fine. See ya in a few minutes. Meet back here." He grabbed his backpack and hoisted it over his shoulder.

She watched his retreating form for a moment, then turned down the hall in search of the nurse's office. It didn't take long for her to find it, across the hall from the gym. She passed by two walkers along the way, stabbing them through their skulls with her knife with barely a thought as she moved through the door.

She set her bag on the floor, occasionally dropping some medicines in it when she thought it was necessary. She grinned when she found some batteries in a drawer.

Outside, she heard heavy footsteps in the hall and she breathed a sigh of relief that he was finished so quickly. "Daryl?" She turned and headed for the door to meet him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a stack of blankets sitting on a shelf next to a cot. She grabbed as many as she thought she could fit in her bag, along with a couple of thin pillows. Satisfied, she pulled her bag up and turned on her heel out into the hall.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw the young walker standing a few feet away from her. He was clearly a student here, or at least he had been. His converse sneakers made heavy slapping noises as he dragged his feet along.

She mentally scolded herself for assuming it was Daryl. Of course it wouldn't be, as this wasn't where they'd agreed to meet. She'd have to be more careful next time.

The teenaged walker grabbed at her bag, pulling her forward until she buried the blade of her knife in between his eyes. Then he slumped to the floor with a loud echo down the hallway, and that's when she saw them.

They came out of the gym slowly, and she mentally counted them as they emerged. There were seven of them when she was done counting, all young, maybe even younger than the dead boy she'd just killed. She could tell by their torn school jackets and trendy, bloodied jeans.

The stepped away from the gym and shuffled down the hall, all huddled together as if they had just been dismissed from class. One of them broke away from the group, moving faster towards her than all the rest.

This one was a girl, her soft light brown curls were matted to her head. She bared her teeth as she moved forward, snarling with arms outstretched.

Carol's eyes locked with the dead girl's sunken ones and everything moved in slow motion. The walker studied her for a moment, seemingly sizing her up, and Carol could tell that this girl had been one of the smart ones. Probably had an A+ average in school, just like-

Six shots fired in rapid succession from a gun. The girl didn't let up her movements though, just kept moving forward. She reached out to Carol and Carol was frozen in place for a moment as her heart rate responded to the gunfire.

"Carol, run!" He shouted, but she stood in place, with one hand on her knife.

The spell was only broken when he threw his body forward, pushing her down to the ground and ripping her knife from her side. Her arm hit the floor hard, jarring her out of her reverie in time to see him throw her knife swiftly into the walker's head.

Tears started flooding from her eyes when she saw the girl's body start to fall and she angrily pushed against him. "Get off me!" She shouted. "Just get off!"

His whole body was tense as he pulled her up with him as she struggled. "Stop," he pleaded quietly. "Why didn't you run away?"

"I am done running!" She screamed through clenched teeth before taking off down the hall and bolting through the exit.

She was kneeling on the lawn with both arms wrapped around herself when he returned a moment later with both of their bags. "Carol…" He started, but she shrugged away.

He followed her to the car, placing both bags in the back seat before reaching for her and pulling her close to his body. "I found soap."

She struggled against him, tried to pull her wrists out of his hands.

"Hay. Hay, it's okay," he said softly. "I've got you. You're okay."

"No, I'm not!" She shouted, finally managing to break free. She moved around to driver's side of the car. "We're done here. Either get in or get out."

He leapt around the other side, his tall frame crowding her against the car. "That's it then? You gonna keep pushin' me away?"

She glared up at him. "I could have gotten that."

He shook his head. "I know that. I know. But this ain't your solo show. We help each other out. That's how this works."

She didn't answer, just turned her gaze away from him.

"Look here, sweetheart. I'm not the one that abandoned ya, alright?" He tapped her chin up to look at him. "He did. Not me."

Her eyes were wide and tearful when they met his. "Why didn't you?"

He sighed. "We goin' through this again? Just stop punishin' yerself. Makes things a lot easier."

"I can't do this… I can't…" she cried. "I don't want it to be easier."

He took a step back, waited.

"It's there. It's always there, every second of every day," she whispered, covering her face with her hands.

"I know," he said quietly, reaching out to pull her hands away. "Come on now. Let's get out of here."

"Doesn't stop…."

He put an arm around her shoulders, steered her around the other side of the car. "Would ya let me drive for a bit?"

She nodded wordlessly, staring through glassy eyes as he helped her settle into the passenger's seat.


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl knew he'd have to make a decision soon. Carol had nodded off and the sun was setting. He didn't want the beams from the headlights to attract any unwanted attention, which meant that they'd have to settle somewhere for the night again.

She was still asleep by the time he was pulling into the driveway, so he gently shook her awake. If she was surprised to see that house again, she didn't show it, so he figured it was okay. "Welcome home," he muttered.

"I think I locked it up before we left," she said with a yawn. "Sorry. Knee-jerk reaction I guess."

He shrugged. "S' fine. Won't take nothin' ta pick that lock."

Carol dug around in her bag for her flashlight and held it over his shoulder while he worked. The door was popped open in mere seconds and he shooed her in.

"I'll be really impressed if we can still lock it from the inside after that," she told him.

He grinned as he clicked it into place before turning the deadbolt.

She managed a small smile at that before heading up the stairs.

He followed closely behind her, absently fidgeting with the chipped paint on the railing. "Uh.. guess I should sleep in my own room tonight?"

She looked at him over her shoulder as she tugged the soda cans into place. "You don't have to."

He nodded, walking in behind her and watching as she tested her alarm system a few times before pulling the door shut.

She placed the flashlight on the nightstand and motioned for him to sit.

He obediently sat next to her on the bed with his back against the wall, watched in the dim light as she pulled her legs up on the mattress.

"We can do it again if you want," she told him in a low voice.

He was quiet for a moment before answering. "What do you want?"

Her blue eyes were clear as she looked at him seriously. "I want you to tell me that what I did was bad."

He nodded once, regarding her carefully. "Yeah, it was a bad thing that you did alright."

She lowered her eyes, hugging her knees to her chest.

"But shit, woman. Who the hell am I ta judge?" He placed a hand awkwardly under her chin and tilted her head back to look at him.

Their eyes locked and they sat quietly like that for a long time until he slowly leaned over and kissed her. It was nothing fancy, just a light press of his lips against hers. Almost like it didn't even happen at all.

She knew that she'd have to be the one to make a move if she wanted anything to ever happen again, and that was fine with her. Years and years of not moving at all and now she felt a sense of relief wash over her to be the one crawling into his lap.

He just held her like that for a moment, so she let him digest the situation. He swallowed hard, and she could feel it. She reached a hand up to run through his hair, and he turned his head to place a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist. Then his hands got restless.

Carol Peletier had only been with one man in her entire life before the back seat of that car. She was used to quick, drunk, angry, hard, and stolen. He may have thought he possessed her, and she supposed legally he did, but she was never really his. Every time he'd taken her he stole a part of her.

This was different. She found she thoroughly enjoyed Daryl's frantic need to get his hands all over every part of her body. And this man, who had a whole hell of a lot of experience in thievery, would never have to steal anything from her because she'd gladly give it all to him.

He was breathing hard as they kissed, they both were. She let him lower her to the mattress, with one hand rubbing between her legs and the other reaching over her to switch off the flashlight.

It was pitch black in the closed room, but she didn't mind. She knew that the darkness made it easier for him to feel her hands and lips all over the scars on his back. She supposed that the darkness made it easier for her too, when he desperately asked for her to get on top, even though it didn't take much for her to crawl over his body and spread her legs for him.

Afterwards, he pulled her naked body close to him from behind and placed wet, sloppy kisses along her neck. Told her how fuckin' beautiful she was and how fuckin' good she made him feel. It was certainly easier to hear those sorts of things in the dark, where she rubbed her fingers over a long scar on his side until he placed his hand over hers to make her stop.


	6. Chapter 6

Carol was awakened by a loud thump outside the door. She listened for the cans to shake, but all she heard was silence, so she pulled herself up out of bed, grabbing for her knife.

"Won't need that," a familiar voice spoke.

She looked over her shoulder to find Daryl sound asleep, her brow creased as she thought on how odd it was that whatever was happening, she'd heard it first instead of him. Shaking her head, she turned around to reach for the door and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized that there was another person in the room.

"Not much has changed, I see. You're still a worthless slut."

Her eyes widened as they adjusted to the sudden light. "Ed?"

He grinned, an odd, eerie grin that she'd seen many times before.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed.

"What, not happy to see me?" He advanced forward, roughly grabbing her chin in his hand. "Come on, now. Give us a kiss."

She turned her head defiantly in his grasp, her eyes narrowed in a cold glare. "Go away, Ed! You can't hurt me anymore."

His body heaved in an icy laugh. "S'much easier to say now that I'm gone, isn't it, whore?"

She took two steps back, breathed deeply once she was away from his vile breath. "Why are you here? Why can't you just leave me alone? It wasn't my fault, what happened to you."

He laughed again as if she'd just said the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "You keep tellin' yourself that, honey. Keep on pretendin' that it wasn't what you wanted."

"No!" She cried. "I can't- I never…" she stomped her foot angrily, took a few more steps back. "I never wanted any of this shit to happen."

He huffed. "Look at you, actin' all strong and tough." He leaned closer, his voice almost a whisper now. "When we both know that you're just a weak little mouse. Isn't that right, honey?"

"No." She shook her head furiously, crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No."

The silence between them was thick and heavy and they just glared at each other for awhile. Finally, Ed nodded towards the bed behind her. "You don't got me to depend on no more, so you dependent on him now? Hmmm? You're his burden now?"

She ignored the question, looking up at him through teary eyes. "Shut up."

"Who's gonna make me if I don't? You?" He asked with a chuckle.

"That's your style. Not mine."

He let out a low whistle. "Look at you, talkin' back to me like that, whore. My, my this world sure has changed you."

She set her mouth in a line. "We do what we have to."

He grinned. "And that makes it okay, right? What you did?"

She gazed at him incredulously. "Who are you to judge me? You're a monster!"

"You're no different, honey. Not now." He gazed at her with steady eyes. "We're finally the same, you and me. Too bad it had to be this way. I kind of like the new you better. All full of self-loathing and despair…. Always knew you coulda been taken down a peg or two, you dirty whore."

She lowered her gaze away from his. "Why did you hate me so much?" She whispered.

"Oh, baby." He advanced again, this time taking her face in both his hands. "I never hated you. All I did was love you. Truth is, it was myself I hated. All the time."

She sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"It was you who hated me," he continued.

She shook her head, closed her hands around his wrists to yank him away from her face.

"No?" He continued to move forward until she was pressed up against the wall. "Then why else would you let that piece of shit lay with you? Huh?" He spat, pointing violently behind her.

"You leave him out of this!" She hissed. "Daryl is a good man, much better than you ever were!"

"Oh yeah?" He raised his hand. "Well then, you let your angel go to heaven. I'll see you in hell, bitch!"

He swung his fist, but she caught it in her palm just before he made contact. Then her eyes shot open in the darkness.

She breathed in heavily, gasping greedily for air as her heart pounded in her heaving chest. She frantically wiped away the light sheen of sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Whassamatter?" He mumbled, propping himself up on his elbow. "Bad dream?"

"The worst," she answered, gazing down at her left hand clutching at the sheets.

"Those things can't hurtcha if ya don't let 'em," He said.

She glared down at her wedding band sparkling in the darkness. "I know."

"Y' alright now?"

She nodded, ripping the ring from her hand. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep." She hurled her ring in the general direction of the window, frowned when she heard it hit the wooden board and fall to the floor.


	7. Chapter 7

"I need the boards on the windows to come down. If we're going to be staying here for awhile," She told him in a soft voice. "At least the one in the bedroom. It's too damn dark."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Lemme take a leak real quick and I'll help ya."

She crossed over to the other side of the room, flashlight in hand as she inspected the closed window. It was a shoddy job, she didn't think it would be that hard to undo. She was lost in thought and barely even heard him when he returned a moment later.

"Hay."

She jumped slightly when she realized he was right beside her.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya." He held up the hammer at his side and went to work.

She shook her head. "It's alright."

He paused with a frown. "Truth is, you're tha one that scares me sometimes."

Her shoulders tensed and she turned her head to look at him. "What?"

He shrugged without answering.

"Me? What'd I do?" She prodded.

"It's just…. I guess I just don't know what to do this time. How to bring you home. Out of the darkness." He pulled the board down with a harsh tug and she coughed at the sudden spread of dust.

The late morning light flooded the room suddenly and she slowly managed a small smile. "This is a good start. Do you think we could open it?"

"Don't see why not. We're on the second floor."

She grinned, reaching out to undo the shabby little latch.

His eye caught something on the floor and he bent down to retrieve it. "This belong to you?" He asked, holding it out to her.

Her expression changed when she saw the tiny ring in his outstretched hand. "Not anymore," she answered with narrowed eyes.

"Alright then. Guess we don't need it here." He gestured towards the window.

She felt like she was moving in slow motion when she took it from him, her fingers shaking. "Fine. But no comments on how I throw like a girl."

He held up his hands in surrender and took a step away from the ledge. With that, she took a deep breath and hurled it as hard as she could out the window, watching as it sailed across the yard, over the fence and disappeared somewhere she couldn't see.

He let out a low whistle. "Damn, girl. Where'd you learn to throw like that?"

She laughed, smiling widely into the light breeze that she'd only just realized was blowing softly into her face.

XXXXX

She found herself leaning out hours later, when the sky had turned black. Her elbows rested on the window sill, and she idly placed her chin in her hand. "The stars are out tonight." She looked over her shoulder and gestured for him to join her. "When was the last time we saw real stars?"

He shrugged. "I don't wanna see 'em through a tiny space. C'mon, I got a better idea." He moved swiftly out the door, grabbing her backpack off the nightstand.

"Daryl? Where are you going?" She called, running after him as he jogged the stairs two at a time.

He swung the door open and ushered her out in front of him. Then he pulled a blanket from her bag and spread it across the lawn.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked quietly.

He settled down on the ground, patted the space next to him. "Just stay alert and don't fall asleep."

She sat down slowly, leaning her head back to gaze up at the sky. "You're right, this is much better."

He was quiet for a long while, but she wanted to keep talking. "My mama used to tell me stories about them when I was little. All about how the constellations connect and who they're named for. Like Andromeda and Cassiopeia."

He sniffed. "Yeah, I know all 'bout them bitches."

She laughed. "Bitches?"

"We learned it in grade school. How they were punished for thinkin' they're so much prettier, so much better than the rest."

She nodded. "It's amazing how much importance we've always placed on looks, isn't it? Even way back then." She laughed after a moment. "Although now, if we still thought that way, you and I would be at the top. Compared to everything else around us."

He chuckled at that. "Nah. You already are at the top."

She raised an eyebrow.

He reached out his arm, pointed at the sky. "See them three stars, the real bright ones? That's Carol."

She giggled a little. "It is?"

He nodded confidently. "Sure is. All pretty and strong, shining bright over everythin'. That's why they put 'er up there, ya know. So evry'one could see. And all the hunters'd have something powerful to guide 'em."

"I never heard that story before," she said playfully, leaning back to settle in between his legs.

He stiffened. "Uh, it's much better than the shit they teach kids in school anyway."

She tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder, felt him swallow hard since her face was so close to his. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…. I ain't so good at this… affection stuff."

She reached up to pat his hair. He rested his chin against her shoulder and exhaled slowly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "I s'pose I could learn."

"Actually, you're much better than you think you are," she whispered, closing her eyes and burrowing against him.

They were quiet for so long that after awhile they both had to move to make sure the other wasn't asleep. Carol straightened up, wrapped her arms around her knees. "Daryl?" She asked after a moment. "Are you happy?"

He snorted. "Never really knew what that was like, before. Then the world ended." He scooted closer to her. "How 'bout you?"

She shook her head slowly. "I used to think that if I was a good wife, and a good mother, that I would be happy."

He watched silently as she hunched over, raised her hands to her face.

"But we both know how those things turned out." She sniffled.

"Hay." He reached out to move her hands from her face. "I didn't know ya before, but I know you now. I'll bet you were the best wife there is. That bastard sure as hell didn't deserve ya."

"But Sophia deserved better," She said meekly.

He bristled at the mention of her daughter's name, but wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders anyway. "You did everything you could. We both did." He stroked his fingers soothingly through her hair.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I didn't mean to betray… everyone…. I…."

"Sssh," he murmured. "Stop that now."

"And now look what's happened. I took you away from them. I took them away from you."

He thought for a moment, wanting to choose his words carefully. "My family was shit before. Then the shit hits the fan, and I find something more, great. It's all fun while it lasts, in this world, right?"

She blinked. "I guess so."

He smiled, nudging her jaw lightly with his knuckles. "Way I see it, I'm out here in the peace and quiet with a beautiful woman standing next to me. What's not to be happy about?"

She placed a hand against his chest. "Daryl… I…"

He stood up then, held a hand out to her. "We'd best get inside now, right?"

She nodded slowly, let him pull her up. "Right."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I'm getting near the end of this story. There's about 2 chapters left. I just wanted to take this time to thank all of my reviewers, especially the repeat ones! To subversivegrrl, its justforshow, vickih, marybethorama, jessie 33, definitelywalkerbait, and all my guest reviewers, thanks so much for the feedback! Also a big shout out to all of you who have read, favorited, and followed, thank you! I've been getting a lot of messages inquiring about the deleted smutty chapter 2. It's still on my tumblr here post/67063418131/oops-i-wrote-a-smutty-second-chapter, but don't say I didn't warn you. 

"We're gonna run outta food soon," He said softly, regarding her with cautious eyes. "I'll haveta go huntin' today."

She nodded slowly. "I'm coming with you."

He started to hold up his hand in protest, but she continued. "Do you really think I'm going to just stay here by myself while you're out God knows where in unfamiliar territory?"

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "I guess not."

"We stay together," she said firmly. "I won't get in your way."

He thought for a moment, his mind running over his limited options. "Fine. But you gotta pull your own weight. I'll show you a few things, but it's all on you."

She smiled in satisfaction before reaching for her bag.

XXXXX

"We walk from here," Daryl said, pushing against the passenger side door before she'd even cut the engine.

"According to the map, we still have a ways to go. How will we find our way back?"

"Just stick close to the trail we make and don't stray too far from me." He frowned when he saw her reaching for the crossbow. "What are you doing?"

"Aren't you gonna teach me how to shoot that thing?"

He shook his head. "No way. We don't have enough time ta work on your aim with that. You'll be much better with a rifle. Just don't shoot til I give the signal, alright?"

She nodded.

They pressed on for what she guessed was a couple of miles until they reached a clearing. She ducked down low behind a tree trunk and watched while he went to work. After awhile, a young deer wandered into the clearing and it took her a moment, but she realized that he knew the animal had been there all along.

She gazed, mesmerized as he sprang into seemingly effortless motion. The first arrow lodged into the deer's throat and it fell gracefully into the grass. She wondered how they were going to get it back to the car, but then she heard a low rustling in the brush across the way.

He motioned to her with one finger pressed to his lips and her whole body stiffened as she raised the rifle to take aim. She listened, but didn't hear the telltale grunting and groaning that came before a walker attack.

They stood there in silence for a long while, crouched down and hidden from view. It might've been her imagination, but she thought she heard voices in the distance.

A quick glance in Daryl's direction told her he'd heard them too. She watched with wide eyes as he dropped lower to the ground and made a move towards her, silently warning her with his eyes to stay quiet.

It seemed to take an eternity for him to reach her side and as he did, the voices became clearer.

"We're not alone," one of them said, as they moved into view.

There were four of them, all armed. The one who was obviously the leader walked right up to the deer and placed his hand on the base of the arrow. "I've seen these kind of arrows before."

Carol's heart pounded as the men looked around, taking in their surroundings. Daryl clutched his crossbow carefully in one hand, the other grasped Carol's upper arm firmly. He tugged and she shook her head, her eyes already growing tearful.

He tugged again, more insistently and she rose up to meet him without making a sound. "Slow," he mouthed silently and she nodded in understanding as she followed his lead away from the clearing, trying hard not to look back.

Once they were at least half a mile away, she dared to look at him. "What now?" she whispered.

"Run," he answered quietly. "Back the way we came. Go on."

She took off, desperately trying the whole time to figure out if Daryl's were the only set of footsteps she heard other than her own. She was pretty sure they were, but she didn't want to chance sparing a second to check.

Once they reached their car, she didn't hesitate to let him hop into the driver's seat. Only after they were far away from the woods and on the main road did she lean back against the seat and let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"I seen them before," he said without taking his eyes off the road.

"I figured," she said, slightly surprised that her voice sounded a little shaky now that she was no longer whispering. "Where?"

"They're from Woodbury," He answered as he pulled up into the residential neighborhood. "Not the kind of folks that moved in with us."

"They're with him," she finished.

He nodded. "He can't be too far. Judging from the direction they were goin' in, won't be too long 'fore they figure it out."

She sighed. "I said I'd never go back. But if you go warn them, they might have a chance."

He pulled over to the side of the road. Night had fallen and once he turned off the lights they were once again settled in darkness. "I just found ya. Ain't leavin' ya again. If we go back, it's gotta be the two of us."

She shook her head. "I can't go back. He won't have it."

"If we do it now, we can get there in time to make 'em leave. Then we go off on our own. Maybe come back here, if that's what you want. Or go somewhere else."

She raised an eyebrow. "And if we don't?"

"Then you choose right now if you wanna stay here another night or continue on."

Her hands balled up into fists at her sides. "And they die."

He shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, ain't our problem no more, right?"

She nodded. "Right."

"I ain't leavin' ya again, you know that right? It's just us, from now on."

She turned her head away from him to stare out the window into the darkness. "I know."

"So what you wanna do?"

"Drive," she ordered, pressing her forehead against the glass.

He turned the key in the ignition and waited for the engine to come to life. "Where to? Where you wanna go?"

"Back to the prison," she said shakily, her voice almost a whisper. "I want to save Rick and the others."

He grinned as he pulled away from the curb. "Good girl."


	9. Chapter 9

Her heart was in her throat as he stopped the car outside the prison gates. There were a few walkers on either side of the car and Daryl flashed the brights twice, which was the signal Rick had taught them all nearly a year ago.

Glenn was on watch and he gestured to Maggie to help him open up the fence. They rolled in and stopped before the inner fence without having to take out any walkers just yet.

She swallowed hard as she saw Maggie approach.

Daryl nudged her hand gently with his. "We're just here ta do a job."

She nodded, slowly grasping his fingers in hers.

"Let's go," he said softly. He made a move to pull his hand out of hers as he opened the door, but she didn't let go. Instead, she slid across the seat and crawled out the driver's side after him.

He gazed down at their conjoined hands, squeezed hers briefly before nodding ahead.

"Daryl!" Maggie shouted as she ran up to them. She stopped short when she realized that Carol was there too.

"You came back," Glenn said, to neither one in particular. The two younger people exchanged nervous glances.

"We gotta tell Rick somethin' important," Daryl said, ignoring their awkwardness.

Maggie nodded. "I'll go get 'im."

They were all quiet after she left. Carol kept her eyes trained on the toes of Glenn's boots until she heard Rick approach, with Carl not too far behind. Carl's face brightened when he saw them, but he didn't make a move to follow Rick to the gate.

"Unbelievable," Rick muttered as he approached. His gaze froze for a moment on Daryl's hand, which was still clutching Carol's. "So that's how it is?" He asked, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand and squinting at them.

Daryl nodded once. "S'how it is."

She took in a deep breath to calm herself, exhaled slowly. "We…we have to warn you about something, Rick. The Governor, he's-"

She was interrupted by a gunshot just outside the gates. A walker fell clumsily to the ground and the small cluster of them parted in half in dumbfounded confusion.

Daryl cursed when the four men they'd seen in the woods marched single file through the group, taking on walkers as they advanced. The Governor stood off to the side behind them, arms crossed menacingly in front of his chest.

"It's showtime," He murmured, looking past the soldiers at the six vehicles that were slowly driving up.

Rick looked at Carol who was wringing her hands nervously. By that time, people had slowly started to trickle out of the prison with guns in hand. His eyes narrowed. "Look, we'll figure out something later. Can you help Carl get the kids to safety?"

She nodded wordlessly and Carl ran up to her, throwing his arms around her waist and embracing her fiercely for just a second before he sprang into action. She followed him closely, only glancing over her shoulder once to find that Daryl and the others had already dove into battle with the former Woodbury soldiers.

"The bus is still parked behind block C, come on!" Carl shouted.

She yanked the door open and ran inside, grateful to see that Beth already had most of the children rounded up.

They heard rapid gunfire and many of the kids were crying loudly.

Carl pushed his hat back on his head. "I've gotta get to the others and help. Can you two take it from here?"

Carol nodded, motioning for the children to follow her as she watched him pick up Judith and place her in Beth's awaiting arms.

"It's dangerous out there," Carol warned. "Get them onto the bus and wait for me. I'm going back in to make sure no one's left inside."

She was prepared for an argument, but Beth met her eyes with a solemn look. "Whatever you say."

Carol ushered the kids ahead of her with her arms outstretched, gently whispering soothing things to get them to come and patting the really noisy ones on the head.

"Wait, where are Lizzie and Mika?" Carol shouted.

"Still in Block A." Beth answered. "But Carol, please be careful!"

Carol crouched down low with her hands in front of her face as she dove past the fighting and into the building. "Hello?" she called out a couple of times, but there was no answer. She ran past blocks D and C, briefly checking to make sure there were no stragglers before heading to the back of the building to A.

"Carol!" A young voice shouted.

Her eyes started tearing again when she noticed Lizzie and Mika running up to her with another little boy. "You're back!" Mika said happily.

Carol wrapped her arms around all three of them and squeezed as hard as she could. "You kids go back this way and find Beth right outside that door. Go, we all have to move quickly."

"What about you?" Lizzie asked, her voice fearful. "We don't want to lose you again!"

"I've gotta check that cell, make sure there's no one left."

Lizzie shook her head. "Everyone's out."

"Carol!" Beth's cries echoed down the hall. "We have to go, now!"

Carol shoved against Lizzie's shoulders. "Come on, now. You heard her. Run!"

She stayed behind the children as they ran, urging them forward when they got too slow. Once they were outside, she pointed in the direction of the bus and the girls took off.

Beth waved them on. "Hurry!" She shouted, grabbing the boy's wrists and lifting him onto the bus.

The all heard a loud crash, followed by the insistent gurgling of the walkers.

"Go!" Carol cried. "I'm going to find Daryl and the others."

Beth hesitated for a split second before Carol waved her on.

"It's alright, I'll be fine," she promised. "The kids are more important."

She ran in the direction of the fences, stopped dead in her tracks and raised her hands to her face when she saw that the inner gate had fallen and walkers were quickly trickling in.

"Daryl!" She yelled. "Rick!"

"Over here!" Daryl called and she looked up to find him fighting the walkers that had already made it in. She saw a couple of old Woodbury soldiers shooting at walkers on the fallen fence behind him, but she couldn't tell what side they were really on. The Governor was nowhere in sight, so she supposed it didn't matter anymore, not as long as the dead were surrounding them.

A walker reached out to her from the side, but she threw her knife into its skull before it could take hold of her.

An explosion sounded not too far from where she was standing and she idly wondered who had set off the grenade. She bent down to retrieve her knife, looked up when she heard a scream.

Rick was backed up against a wall about a hundred yards in front of her, a big, bulky walker was snarling dangerously close to his face. He struggled to keep the thing at arm's length, the heel of one hand was pressed into the walker's throat but even from this distance she could see that his physical strength was faltering.

She grasped her knife tightly in her hand, nearly tripped over the dead body of the one she'd just taken out as she took off at full speed. "Rick!" She cried, tears streaming down her face as she dug the blade as deep into the back of the dead one's head as forcefully as she could.

A shot rang out in the distance and the walker collapsed at her feet. It took a few seconds for her to register Rick's arms around her and the fact that the ground had rushed up to meet her face.

XXXXX

"Carol!" Rick shouted, throwing his arms around her limp body and catching her before she could fall.

"Rick… you're okay," she wheezed, her breath shaky. She smiled at him briefly before everything went black.

"Carol! Oh, God, Oh, God!" He cried as the dark circle of blood on her tank top spread wider and soaked into his shirt. "Somebody help!"

Daryl looked up from the last of the walkers and rushed forward when he saw his friends slumped against the wall. Tyreese stood off to the side, eyes wide and hands shaking. "I-I'm s-s-sorry," he sobbed. "The walker… Rick… I-I'm so sorry, I didn't see her!"

Daryl looked quizzically to Rick as he gently cradled Carol's body, not yet comprehending.

"Shit. She's been shot, Daryl," he cried. "Carol… she saved me and then she was shot."

The panic hit him like a cold, hard slap to gut and he moved to Carol's side. "Aw, no. Carol. Carol, please," he murmured, reaching out to stroke her face.

"I think I can help," a soft voice said behind them.

They both looked up to find a meek girl watching them, idly twisting her long yellow braid in her hands.

"You from Woodbury?" Rick asked, eyes narrowed.

She nodded. "I'm studying to be a doctor in school. Or at least, I was. I know some things… I think I can help."

"How do we know we can trust ya?" Daryl spat.

The young girl shrugged. "I guess you don't. But what choice do you have?"

Daryl looked over Carol's body to Rick and met his eyes.

Rick nodded slowly.

"Alright," Daryl said. "Fix this."


	10. Chapter 10

Her eyelids fluttered open slowly and she rolled onto her side, grimacing with the effort. She searched the room in an attempt to figure out where she was, then she smiled when she saw him.

He was sitting in a folding chair near the window reading a book, one of her books. His mouth moved slightly as he followed along with his finger and the whole scene made her heart flutter so wildly that she had to watch him for a few moments before she spoke.

He didn't look up, so she called softly to him, hoping her voice would work. "Hey, Pookie," she said sweetly. "What're ya reading?"

He froze for a second, his eyes locking on hers, then he threw the book aside and was crouching down beside her in less than three steps. "Hay, you're awake."

"Mmmm… where are we?"

He frowned. "Don't you recognize it? We're in our house."

"Our house?" She lifted her head to look around, realized that they were back in the house they'd been holed up in. "Oh, yeah. B-but Rick?!" She asked, feeling slightly panicked as she recalled the last events that she remembered.

"Ssh, ssh," he soothed. "He's fine. Moved in with Carl and Li'l Ass-Kicker next door, actually."

"He did?" she asked with a puzzled expression on her face. She attempted to push herself up in the bed and a wave of dizziness crashed through her.

"Take it easy," Daryl warned, gripping her arms to steady her. "C'mere. I'll help ya. There's somethin' I wanna show you anyway."

She placed her hands on his shoulders, clutching tightly to his shirt as he pulled her up. "How long have I been out?"

"You've been in and out for a couple'a weeks now. Surgery was rough, but you're gonna be jus fine."

She nodded. "What- what happened to the kids?"

"Kids're fine. The girls're with Glenn an' Maggie, a few houses down. We can move them in here, if ya like. In the spare room, once you're feelin' up to it."

Her eyes widened. "Is everybody here? On this block?"

He slowly led her over to the window. "Ev'ryone that made it."

She decided that she would ask him about that later, not wanting to spoil the first moment of security she'd felt in a long time.

"We're buildin' a wall around this block and the next one. Not done yet, but it'll be soon. Might not be a bad place ta settle down once an' for all," He said, his face close to her ear as he stood beside her for support.

She gazed out the open window, leaning her arms against the sill. From this distance, she could see into the other yard, like always. Rick's yard. She could spot him in the middle of it, talking to Carl. He looked up when he saw her watching them, raised his hand in a wave.

She waved back as a slow smile started to spread across her face.

"What're you thinkin'?" Daryl asked, the corners of his mouth twitching up as he watched her.

She turned back to him with a big grin, the kind that showed all her teeth. "I think this feels like home," she said quietly. "It's perfect. Now nobody has to be alone, ever again."

He nodded. "That's the idea."

She regarded him carefully with her chin tilted to the side. "You won't ever leave me, will you, Daryl?"

"Course not. I'm never lettin' go a you ever again." He shook his head and a long lock of hair fell into his eyes.

She giggled, gesturing at it with her hand.

"Yeah, it's gettin' kinda long, huh? I, uh, don't s'pose you'd wanna cut it for me. Ya know, when you're feelin' up to it?"

"Hell no," she said, reaching with her fingers to brush the hair from his face. "I kinda like it."

He looked down as a light blush started to spread across his cheeks.

"Makes you look…. tough," she said with a mischievous grin. "Actually, it's kinda sexy."

"Stop," he urged, embarrassed, but the way he said it sort of made her feel like he didn't want her to.

"Really?" She asked softly, gazing up at him with wide eyes.

He shook his head. "Naw. Believe it or not, I've missed your teasin.'"

"Good," she said with a little laugh. "Cause I could go all night!"

He groaned. "Okay, yeah, stop," he said as his cheeks flamed brighter. "Unless of course, you're serious."

She froze, her heart suddenly pounding in her ears at the slightly husky tone his voice had just taken. "You mean… you want to… again?"

He shrugged. "I know we gotta wait til you're healed more. But I kinda miss that too."

She nodded. "Me too," she said in a small voice. She slowly stepped closer to him. "I'm really glad you found me," she whispered.

"Yeah," he agreed, holding out his hands, ready to catch her if she fell. "I just… really needed ya back. Glad ya are."

She thought for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "There's something else I should tell you."

"Oh yeah?" He asked, looking up at her. "What's that?"

She took a deep breath, keeping her eyes steady on his the whole time. "I'm in love with you, Daryl. I'm….. in love with you." She reached out to take both of his hands in hers. "I have been for a real long time now."

He watched her stroke her fingers over his, didn't say anything.

"I-I'm sorry…. if that's too much for you to hear," she whispered.

He shook his head. "Naw," he whispered back, pulling her forward into his embrace and engulfing her in his arms. "It's just enough."

She held onto him tightly for a few long moments, breathing him in.

"There's still that thing I wanted ta show you," he said, a little gruffly, after awhile.

She looked up at him quizzically.

He pointed out the window with one arm, keeping the other one wrapped firmly around her slender frame. He gestured straight down at the ground and she leaned her head out all the way to see a bush of white flowers growing against the house. "Is- is that…?"

"Cherokee roses," he murmured into her hair. "Been growin' there tha whole time. I told ya you'd be okay."

He placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "We all made some mistakes, all of us. That don't mean we don't all get a second chance."

She smiled widely, taking in the whole scene before her. Rick was still out in his yard with the kids, playfully holding Judith's arms up above her as she took a few unsteady steps towards Carl. Tyreese was there too, with Beth, and Maggie and Glenn and the rest of the children, and they all cheered her on loudly.

Carol placed the hand that was still holding his over her heart and breathed in deeply.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," she said, letting her gaze linger out the window before turning to look up at him with a contented sigh. "I've found my way home."


End file.
